Stream millions of songs and podcasts with smart recommendations, social sharing, and flexible plans
Stream millions of songs and podcasts with smart recommendations, social sharing, and flexible plans
Pros
- Easy to queue up songs
- Smart, algorithm driven recommendations
- Incredibly vast song library
Cons
- Library missing a few major artists
In the world of music streaming services, Spotify ranks among the best known. More than just a radio streaming platform, Spotify also serves as a virtual jukebox, digital music collection, and personal DJ. While it's not perfect, it's a revolutionary change to how we listen to music in much the same way that Tinder adapted dating to our modern app-based and digital social lives. In other words, Spotify does a great job of being what you need it to be, when you need it.
The library here is truly impressive. Spotify paid nearly 10 billion dollars in its first dozen years, and that's not stopping anytime soon. With a few notable exceptions - like Prince and the Beatles - you can expect to find practically any major artist you'd want to, and that coverage extends to a whole universe of smaller and practically unknown artists too. Whether you're looking to introduce yourself to Gregorian chants, explore the history of bluegrass, or go on a tour of rock 'n roll history, the options here are wide open.
Finding what you need is never that difficult either. The search function can help you dig up your favorite artists and albums, but it can also pull up the music you're looking for based off of lyrics. Once you've started to listen to something, you won't be completely on your own when searching for some follow-up music too. Spotify utilizes some advanced algorithms, and they aren't shy of showing them off. They'll provide you with a constant drip feed of music based off both your recent and long term listening patterns. They'll even provide you with a summary of what you listened to the prior week and month if you're curious about what your listening habits look like.
You'll find something to listen to even when you aren't in the mood to groove. While Spotify's podcast selection can't match Apple's library, the variety of content here is still huge. Fortunately, the expansive catalog is easy to navigate and split into some smart categories for ease of use.
If you aren't trying to actively DJ, the radio stations here are pretty impressive. Practically any genre of music you could want, you can find a station for. And we aren't being generic here either. Looking for indie rock alone will bring you a sweeping host of different radio stations, and the algorithms that go into tracking songs means that it can even auto-generate playlists based on what you like to listen to. Find a musician you like, with a sound you've never quite heard before? With just a couple of clicks, you can create an entire radio station based off of that single artist.
Spotify isn't a full blown social networking service, but it does do a great job of integrating your musical preferences into your larger online persona. A sidebar provides you with a consistent feed of what your friends are listening to, and getting it up and running is as simple as syncing Spotify up to your Facebook account. You aren't penned in based on who you have on Facebook either. If you find a playlist you really love, you can follow that user's account. You can say goodbye to summer mixtapes, because Spotify allows you to make your own playlists and share them with the entire community or just with your personal friends and family. It's never been easier to climb down a rabbit hold of musical exploration. Even cooler, a number of musicians and other celebrities have their own accounts so you can get a peek into their influences and interests by just checking out their curated playlists.
The scope of Spotify's library can be intimidating, but their plans tend to be highly affordable. In fact, you can get full access to all of Spotify's content without even having to pay a membership charge. The free plan comes with ads but doesn't deny you any content. A paid membership provides higher quality streaming and the ability to download any music, and there are even family plans and student discounts.
It's hard to argue against the value of Spotify. It's an infinite jukebox that can fit into your computer or your phone, and while it has a lot of competition on the market, it's hard to argue with results. The library is vast, the pricing affordable, and the interface very smartly designed. It's well worth paying attention to for any fans of music or podcasts.
Pros
- Easy to queue up songs
- Smart, algorithm driven recommendations
- Incredibly vast song library
Cons
- Library missing a few major artists
Pros
- Customizable Playlists
- Collaborative Playlists
- Facebook-Compatible
- Radio Streaming
- iPod Sync Feature
- MP3 Importing
Cons
- Annoying Ads in Free Version
- Can't Download All Songs
- Must Use Credit Card To Purchase Individual Songs
Spotify is an online music streaming service that boasts a tremendous selection of songs that users can access from almost anywhere.
Even though there are many other streaming services that are similar to Spotify, this service stands out from the others thanks to several unique characteristics and features. The Spotify library is searchable via music label, decade, album, genre, artist, and more. You can use the software to make playlists, share them with your friends, and collaborate with your friends to make playlists together. Spotify offers complete biographies on all your favorite artists, and you can use the service to find new music you might enjoy thanks to the 'Related Artists' feature.
When using Spotify, you can select from three different account varieties. These include Premium, Unlimited, and Open. With an Open account, you can listen to up to 10 hours of music per month, which equates to about 200 songs. This type of account is supported by ads, and you are limited to five plays per song. With an Unlimited account, you'll be given an ad-free experience and the ability to play songs an unlimited number of times. Premium accounts include the same benefits as an Unlimited account, but they also include offline playlist mode and premium-quality MP3 files.
The newest version of Spotify includes a number of social functions that were lacking from earlier versions. Using the Spotify Library, you can manage your personal MP3 files and your curated collection from the Spotify database. MP3 files can be imported into Spotify from iTunes, Windows Media Player, or directly from a hard drive.
You can also use the software to sync and manage audio files on your smart device. The mobile app for Spotify was once only available to Premium accounts, but it is now available for anyone with any Spotify account. Thanks to the Spotify MP3 download service, you can purchase your full custom playlists for permanent download, or you can select individual songs. The more songs you buy at once, the cheaper each individual track becomes. If purchasing multiple songs, you can use either PayPal or a credit card, but if you're only purchasing a single song, you must use a credit card.
Spotify has improved significantly with every new version. Even with the limitations of the Open account, the software is able to outperform the best existing music apps. If you're willing to pay the small fee for either an Unlimited or Premium account, the benefits are well-worth the cost.
For more advanced control and greater listening experiences, the software now boasts gapless playback functionality and a cross-fader option. Few other music apps provide the freedom and utility of Spotify.
Pros
- Customizable Playlists
- Collaborative Playlists
- Facebook-Compatible
- Radio Streaming
- iPod Sync Feature
- MP3 Importing
Cons
- Annoying Ads in Free Version
- Can't Download All Songs
- Must Use Credit Card To Purchase Individual Songs
Pros
- Includes thousands of songs from classic and modern acts
- Has a social networking feature that lets you share what you listen to
- Can add your own music to the app
- Lets you create your own playlists for sharing
- Search for music by genre, album title, song title, or artist name
Cons
- Free version comes with lots of ads
- The same ads will play frequently
- You need a credit or debit card to buy music
- Spotify cannot play music from select artists and bands
- You cannot purchase and download all songs
Spotify is one of the best apps out there for finding new music and listening to songs from your favorite artists. It's available in both a free version and a premium version.
It might not seem like it was that long ago that you kept compact discs in your house and your car. Any time that you wanted to listen to music, you just popped one of those discs in your player. Software let you rip songs from the discs you owned to create mixed discs that you listened to and shared too. Later programs let you listen to your favorite radio stations and search for music online. Spotify offers users a new way to listen to songs from new and popular artists.
Spotify is a great program that combines elements from different apps. When you have an account and register a debit card or credit card, you can purchase and download songs online. You can also rip songs from the discs that you own or borrow from friends and transfer those files to your account. Spotify can also locate music files in your own library and add those songs to your account.
Searching for music is easy because the app gives you so many options. While you can search by artist or band name, you can also search by album title or song name. If you like a specific genre, Spotify lets you search for music from that genre. You can also enter the names of artists you like and let the app recommend new artists.
One of the top features of Spotify is that it comes with like and dislike buttons. As you listen to songs on the radio, you can click the like button to let it know that you like the song. Pressing the dislike button lets it know that you don't like the music and keeps the app from playing that song later. The more songs you like, the more the app will learn about your preferences.
The free version of the app plays ads in between songs that function as commercial breaks. You'll often hear the same ads over and over again. You may dislike that the app doesn't have all songs available as downloads and that you need a credit/debit card to buy music. The premium version of Spotify removes ads.
Pros
- Includes thousands of songs from classic and modern acts
- Has a social networking feature that lets you share what you listen to
- Can add your own music to the app
- Lets you create your own playlists for sharing
- Search for music by genre, album title, song title, or artist name
Cons
- Free version comes with lots of ads
- The same ads will play frequently
- You need a credit or debit card to buy music
- Spotify cannot play music from select artists and bands
- You cannot purchase and download all songs
